Inward Blog

Viewing entries tagged with 'advertising'

I love American Express. I have been a cardholder member since 1981. I can tell you countless stories how they saved me in a variety of circumstances. Whether I was traveling abroad and needed a last-minute hotel room, prescriptions filled in Greece when I forgot my pills at home, cash advance in the UK after hours or even help change my cabin on a sold-out cruise ship, American Express was always there for me. The company and their brand are like a familiar face that I have come to rely on after all these years.

I was walking through the grocery store the other day and when I got to the checkout aisle I looked to my right to browse the candy display. I was pleasantly surprised to see a box of Snickers with their bar packaging changed to reflect the moods of people depicted in their current advertising campaign "You're not you when you're hungry". I instantly took an iPhone photo and decided to do some research and write this blog post.

The other day I had the pleasure of visiting with Jim Speros, who is the EVP of Corporate Communications for Fidelity Investments. Jim has had a remarkable career in a variety of marketing and advertising roles over the last 39 years. In addition to the last eight years he has served Fidelity Investments, he has also worked at Marsh-McLennan Companies, Ernst & Young and AT&T.

A few weeks back, the Ford Motor Company launched an incredible idea that has often been made available in traditional retail but rarely in the automotive field. They announced a friends and neighbors promotional discount that easily lays out a plan to get the friends and neighbors of Ford Motor Company employees to buy a new Ford vehicle. It began on Tuesday November 9th and runs through January 4, offers what the automaker calls "an inside deal, now for everyone." It’s simple it’s engagement and advocacy on steroids. http://ford.to/1NPTeaf

Last night while watching TV I saw an advertisement that moved me in a very significant way. It made me feel good inside, like I could make a difference by making a small gesture of gratitude and appreciation for the men and women who serve our country. It was called Greenlight A Vet. www.greenlightavet.com/

GE to millennials is like the big bad wolf to baby boomers. Apparently GE’s employer value proposition has shifted to make it appear cool to work at the company, while also doing meaningful work. There was once a time where working for GE was reaching a pinnacle in one’s career. But over the years, with the advent of entrepreneurial startups it seems as if everyone wants to work for Google, Facebook, and Twitter rather than one of the “behemoths” of our past.

I am a big fan of Southwest Airlines. Despite the skirmishes that happened between two passengers this week from LA to San Francisco, I am still a big believer of their philosophy and marketing programs.

I will admit straight off that I am a big fan of Mad Men. I lived that life when I started my career at McCann-Erickson in 1975 in Detroit as a media planner. McCann-Erickson was known as Coke’s and Exxon’s agency. With the encouragement of these two clients, McCann-Erickson expanded globally and had multiple offices around the world. I was proud to work for such an advertising conglomerate and leader in the industry. We didn’t have the historical trauma of the Kennedy assassination and the Cuban missile crisis. But we did have the Cold War, Watergate and the Nixon resignation and Vietnam.